Cigarette ash receiver



United States Patent CIGARETTE ASH RECEIVER Leslie Soule, Dover, Mass.

' Application January 19, 1950, Serial No. 139,491

6 Claims. (Cl. 131-235) My invention relates to cigarette ash receiverssuch as are commonly employed in automobiles and the like. See also myco-pending companion application Serial No. 193,329, filed November 1,1950, now Patent No. 2,623,529, issued December 30, 1952, relating tothe same subject.

Such ash receivers as now made customarily comprise a sliding orswinging tray or drawer with a perforated member against which a lightedcigarette stub can be extinguished by being rubbed out afterwhich thestub is dropped into the tray. In actualuse, however, it is found thatthe fire is frequently only partly extinguished and that sparks whichhave dropped through the perforations or the burning stub sets fire tounburned cigarette stubs and charred tobacco in the tray. Often theentire contents of the tray is ignited and smoulders, giving offunpleasant smoke and fumes. If the vehicle is in motion, the driver musteither submit to the discomfort of the smoke, or stop the vehicle, takeout the tray which in some cases is too hot to handle with comfort, andempty it and replace it.

Furthermore, a person who has been annoyed by burning cigarette stubs inan ash tray is likely to take particular pains to rub out the burningcigarette thoroughly, with the result that his attention is dangerouslydistracted from the management of the vehicle. Or, as is frequently thecase, the operator throws the lighted stub out of the window rather thango to the trouble of rubbing it out and dropping it in the tray.

Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide an ashreceptacle of simple economical construction which will extinguish thecigarette effectively and with a minimum of efiort on the part of theoperator, so that attention will not be distracted from the managementof the vehicle.

The improved cigarette ash receiver embodying my invention includes acup with a closed bottom to receive the cigarette stub and by which itis extinguished, and is so constructed that when the tray is pushed backinto closed position, the extinguished cigarette stub is automaticallytipped out of the cup and deposited in the tray. The cup is then emptyand in position to receive the next cigarette stub when the tray isagain pulled out.

In the drawings:

Fig. his a front elevation of the panel of an automobile with acigarette ash receiver embodying my invention located in a customaryposition underneath the panel;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the parts in theposition which they occupy when the tray is closed;

Fig. 3 shows the same parts with the tray pulled out and the cup inposition to receive a cigarette stub;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the tray and attached parts;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a modification of the device in which the cup is normally heldin upright position by means of a spring.

Referring to the drawings, the panel of an automobile is designated 11.On its underside are two guides 12 to receive flanges 13 on the sides ofa tray or drawer 14 having the usual handle 15 by which it can be movedin or out beneath the underside of the panel 11. The tray has an opentop, as shown in Fig. 4, and there are two horizontal inwardly extendingflanges 16 from which depend lugs 17. At 18 is shown a cup having aclosed bottom as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and provided with pivots ortrunnions 19 on which the cup can swing or tilt, the 8 pivots beingreceived in hubs or bearings in the lugs 17.

2,695,619 Patented Nov. 30, 1954 ice The cup is also provided with anupwardly extending portion 20 conveniently in the form of abail. Thisupwardly extending portion 20 extends above the level of the undersideof the panel, and thecup 18 is pivoted with its pivots or trunnions 18above the center of gravity of the combined unit consisting of the cup18 and the upwardly extending portion 20, so that when the tray is open,the cup 18 is held by gravity in a vertical position as shown in Fig. 3.However, when the tray is pushed in to the position shown in Fig.2, theupwardly projecting portion or bail 20 engages the front edge of theunderside of the panel 11 and tilts the cup into the position shown inFig. 2. This is the position which it occupies when the tray is closed.The cup is slightly larger than the cigarette and is flared at the topso that the cigarette can be placed in it easily and will drop out whenthe cup is inverted.

The embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 6 is the same as thatalready described, except that a spring 22 is provided to maintain thecup 18' normally in upright position if for any reason it is found to bemore convenient to pivot the cup at or below the center of gravity. InFig. 6 l have shown the cup as being made of a thin stamping of metal sothat it would be over-balanced by the upwardly projecting portion orbail 20.

I also provide on the cup one or more projections 23-23, see Figs. 4 and5 which engage the downwardly depending lugs 17 when the cup is inupright position and prevent it from tipping out of the vertical intoposition which might interfere with closing the tray.

While I have shown my improved ash receiver as embodied in a drawer-liketray which slides underneath the bottom wall of an automobile panel, itwill be understood that the invention can be employed wherever the trayin open position is clear of its support and in closed position haspassed under or beside some member which will tilt the cup and dump outthe cigarette stub.

The operation of my device is as follows: Assuming that the tray isclosed, that is, has been pushed in under the bottom wall of the panel11, the parts will then be in the position shown in Fig. 2 with the bailor projection under the bottom wall of the panel and the cup in aninclined position. When the tray is drawn out to the position shown inFig. 3, the weight of the cup or the spring 22 tilts it to the positionshown in Fig. 3. At this time it is empty and ready to receive acigarette stub. The user then puts the cigarette stub in the cup withthe burning end downward, and the fire is extinguished almostimmediately by the lack of air and by the absorption of heat by the cup.The user then pushes in the tray as shown in Fig. 2, tilting the cup,whereupon the cigarette drops out of the cup into the tray. If by anychance the cigarette stub should stick in the cup, the vibration of thevehicle will cause it to drop out almost immediately.

The cigarette ash receiver embodying my invention has the greatadvantage that the fire in the cigarette stub is extinguished completelyand almost instantaneously and before it comes in contact with theaccumulation of cigarette stubs and tobacco usually found in an ashreceptacle and, therefore, cannot set fire to them. It has the furtheradvantage that the user does not have to rub out the fire and,therefore, is less likely to have his attention distracted from themanipulation of the car.

I claim:

1. .An improved cigarette ash receiver comprising in combination astationary member, a tray mounted for movement in and out relative tothe said stationary member, an open-topped cup pivotally suspended inthe tray and adapted to be tilted from a vertical receiving position inan emptying position, there being a space in the tray below the cup toreceive cigarette butts and ashes, the cup having a portion extendingoutside the tray adapted to engage the stationary member to tilt the cupfrom its receiving position to its emptying position when the tray ispushed in.

2. An improved cigarette ash receiver comprising in combination astationary member, a tray mounted for movement in and out beneath thesaid stationary mem ber, an open-topped cup pivotally suspended in thetray 0 and adapted to be tilted from a vertical receiving position intoan emptying position, there being a space in the tray upwardly .ex

below the cup to receive cigarette butts and ashes, and an tending bailattached .to the .cup adapted .to engage the stationary member to tiltthe cup from its receiving position to its emptying position when thetray is pushedin.

.3. An improved cigarette ash receiver comprising in combination astationary member, ,a tray mounted for movement'in and out beneath thesaid stationary member, an open-topped cup pivotally suspended .in thetray and adapted to be tilted from a vertical receiving position into anemptying position, there being a space in .the .tray below the cup toreceive cigarette butts and ashes, an upwardly extending ba'il attachedto the cup adapted to engage the statinnarymernber to tiltathe .cup fromits receiving position (to its emptying position when the tray is pushedin, and ,a spring acting on the cup to move it to an upright positionwhen the tray is pulled out.

4. The combination as set ,forth aincla-im 1 and a spring acting on ,thesaid open-topped cup maintaining it in its said verticalreceiving-position when the said tray is pulled out.

5.. An improved cigarette .ash receiver comprising in combination astationary member, a tray mounted for movement in and out beneathithesaidstationar-y member, an open-topped cup pivotally 'suspended inthe tray and adapted ,tolbe tilted from a vertical receiving positioninto an emptying position, there being va space in the tray below thecup .to receive cigarette butts and .ashes, an attached upwardly:extending bail attached to the cup, said .K 4 bail having an outwardlycurved portid .gage .the stationary member to hold thec'un position whenthe tray is pushed in.

6. An improved cigarette ash receiver comprising in combination astationary member, a tray mounted for movement in and out beneath theisaid stationary member, an open-topped cup suspended on a pivot in thetray and adapted to be tilted from a vertical receiving position into anemptying position, there being a space in the tray below the cup toreceive cigarette butts and ashes, an upwardly extending bail attachedto the cup adapted to engage the stationary member -to tilt the cup fromits receiving position to its emptying Position when the tray is pushedin, and a coil spring mounted surrounding the said pivot and acting onthe cup to .move it to upright position when the tray is pulled out.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number{Name ,Date

1,308,652 Arnold July -1, 1919 1,358,004 Leitz v New 9, 1920 2,294,174Gillisse et al Aug. 25 1942 2,561,829 Thwing q, July,24, 1951 FOREIGN{PATENTS Number Country M 13am,

274,324 Great Britain :July" 21, 1-927

